Non-stick pans are coated with a synthetic polymer called Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). This substance is well known by the name brand Teflon, which is owned by DuPont. Recent research shows that this coating on popular cookware can be harmful to humans and the environment. Action must be taken now to eliminate this chemical and educate people about alternative types of cookware. The good news is that there are several alternatives to non-stick cookware and the switch is easy.
The Problem
Non-stick pans are usually made of aluminum and coated with a synthetic polymer called Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). This substance is well known by the name brand Teflon, which is owned by DuPont.(8) The company started making non-stick pans in the 1950’s and since then their popularity has grown tremendously. (9) However, recent research shows that this coating on popular cookware can be harmful to humans and the environment. This is a problem because millions of people cook with these pans daily.
PFOA is a chemical used in the process of making Teflon that raises concerns. The EPA acknowledges that, “A series of scientific findings released since the late 1990s showed that PFOA could pose potential risk to human health and the environment.”(1) "These chemicals have been found in tested air, water, and food in every U.S. city where testing has been done."(10) DuPont admits that above extreme temperatures (500 degrees Fahrenheit), the Teflon coating can emit fumes that can cause “polymer fume fever”, which are flu-like symptoms that dissipate after several hours. They also advise not to let pet birds in the kitchen when cooking with Teflon pans because the fumes can be fatal to them.(11) This should be seen as a warning sign for the effect the fumes may have on humans, just as the canary in the coal mine. "We identified and measured perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs), and fluorotelomer alcohols, released from non-stick coated cookware into the gas phase under normal cooking temperatures for the first time."(2) This research identifies that fumes may be released during normal cooking, not just at extreme temperatures. Another concern with Teflon is ingestion of flakes of the material that are sometimes scraped off pans by the use of metal utensils. Although DuPont claims the flakes are harmless, it is surely only increasing exposure to the chemicals it contains.
In 1999, the EPA discovered perfluorochemicals (PFCs) in blood banks samples provided by the 3M Company (3M). "The data indicated that perfluorooctyl sulfonates (PFOS) [like the ones used on non-stick cookware] is persistent, unexpectedly toxic, and bioaccumulative, and turned up in the blood of more than 90 percent of the U.S.population."(1) Shortly after these findings were published, 3M, the sole manufacturer of PFOS at the time, announced it was discontinuing the production of all perfluorochemicals. It was this decision that led DuPont to promptly announce it would begin making PFOA itself.(1)
A study conducted by the Environmental Working Group in 2008 revealed that, “ The chemical used in Teflon may harm the immune system, liver and thyroid and cause higher cholesterol in children, according to the initial findings of a study of 69,000 people in West Virginia and Ohio who live near a DuPont manufacturing plant. The health effects observed in the study population are strong indicators of health problems that might be caused by PFOA in average Americans.”(3) Other research found that, "There is a potential for PASs to be transferred from domestic, commercial and industrial sources to municipal waste streams and be directed to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs)."(2) This means these chemicals are moving through our water supplies and complicating the issue.
We know that diseases are often influenced by exposure to substances in our environment. Eliminating exposure from cookware is a point of intervention you can take to preserve your health and the environment. My proposed point of intervention is to increase awareness of the concerns with non-stick cookware and encourage that everyone switch to a safer and more eco-friendly alternative. The good news is that there are several alternative types of cookware that can be used to help solve this sustainability problem.
Intervention
There are many other types of cookware that do not use synthetic polymers or perfluorochemicals like those used in non-stick. Some other cookware options include non-coated metals like cast iron, stainless steel, and copper. There is cookware made of natural terracotta as well as new options ceramic coated or non-stick without PFOA.
The following options are made of uncoated metals and do not release any fumes when used. Cast iron is one option for safe and sustainable cookware. Cast iron pans are very durable and last for decades. They are even naturally non-stick when seasoned properly and they are easy to clean using only water. Seasoning cast iron involves coating it in oil and baking it.(See link for details.) Cast iron also emits small amounts of iron into your food for added nutrients, which makes it even healthier.(5) Stainless steel cookware is a popular alternative because it is readily available, fairly affordable, and stays looking nice. According to Jennifer Schwab, director of sustainability of for the Sierra Club Green Home, "Not only are [stainless steel pans] stylish, but they don't contain the potentially harmful chemicals that are found in Teflon-coated or other nonstick pans...and [they] are wholly recyclable once their usefulness is over."(4) One downfall with stainless steel is that it contains nickel, so people with allergies to nickel should not cook with stainless steel.(7) Copper cookware is common amongst professional chefs for its' great heat conductivity. Although a good option for safe cookware, copper is extremely expensive and not a viable option for the average household.(6)
Terracotta cookware is a clay based ceramic that produces no harmful by-products, which makes it a good alternative. “They have a glass like finish made of furnace hardened, vitreous paste that ensures the cooking surface is virtually absent of toxins even when exposed to very high temperatures in sharp contrast to the finish of chemically coated pans, which break down when heated.”(12) Another option is a ceramic coated pan in which the ceramic coating is made from eco-friendly materials like sand and stone. These pans do not emit any toxic gases and they help prevent growth and propagation of bacteria.(13) Some non-stick cookware is being made, such as the Hydrolon Non-Stick pan by Ecolution featured in the collage above, that uses a water based application for the polymer coating instead of the harmful chemical solvent. This technique is an improvement to non-stick technologies, but does not provide a completely sustainable solution.
Components of this point of intervention would include informing people about the dangers of traditional non-stick pans, advertising safe and eco-friendly alternatives, making alternatives desirable, affordable, and readily available, and finally having consumers implement new cookware in their lives and safely dispose of old non-stick pans. Barriers to success might be resistance by consumers to give up their convenient and easy to use Teflon cookware. Some people also claim that non-stick is healthier because it reduces the need for as much butter or cooking oil. However, it is safer to use slightly more butter or oil instead of inhaling toxic fumes and thus I think most people would be convinced to make the change. Stakeholders in the use of non-stick pans are large chemical companies and manufacturing companies, specifically DuPont. All users of non-stick pans are also stakeholders because their health is at risk and they have interest in maintaining the level of convenience that non-stick provides. Everyone else is a stakeholder because the production of these products have a negative impact on the environment that we all have to deal with.
In the fight to eliminate the use of perfluorochemicals progress is already being made. One article notes that, "It is a suggestive or likely carcinogen which the manufacturers have pledged to eliminate from their products by 2015. California legislators are moving to ban the non-stick coatings from food packaging, saying the evidence is clear and alternatives are available, so why wait until 2015." This gives me hope that technology may allow us to make some type of non-stick coating that does not use harmful chemicals, but the best alternatives are the most simple and sustainable ones. I recommend using natural ceramic, cast iron, or stainless steel cookware.
NUMBER 1 1. Wang, Yimin. "Cross-National Conflict Shifting: A Case Study of the Dupont Teflon Crisis in China." Thesis. University of Florida, 2005. Web. 4 Dec. 2011. http://etd.fcla.edu/UF/UFE0010807/wang_y.pdf
2. Yimin Wang received her Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry from Peking University in Beijing and then pursued a Master’s of Science in Teaching at the University of Florida. She also attended the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida majoring in public relations and did a study abroad program at Regents College in London. Wang wrote this thesis to conclude her Master’s of Art in Mass Communication degree in 2005.
3. The main topic of the text is analyzing how China reacted to news that non-stick pans, specifically Teflon, could be harmful. It discusses the problem with Teflon and how the EPA acted against DuPont, while addressing how and why the crisis shifted from the U.S. to China.
4. The main topic is fleshed out by referencing other case studies, analyzing crisis theory and methodology, and presenting research data. These three methods work well together to enhance the impact of the text.
5. The following three quotes capture the critical import of the text:
“Teflon, one of DuPont’s hugely successful brands as non-stick coating, has spurred public debate because of its close relations with a type of controversial chemical called PFOA.”
“The EPA’s action in the United States quickly spread overseas through international media. Unlike the relatively weak response in the United States and European countries, where Teflon has been on the market for decades, an unanticipated crisis with profound impact was triggered on another side of the globe—China.”
“Safety concerns considerably affected Chinese Teflon cookware makers by forcing them to either cancel or delay their new products’ promotion plans.”
6.The argument and evidence provided in the text supports my research focus because it identifies why Teflon is dangerous through research findings by the EPA and it identifies how these findings became a crisis for the Teflon market.
7. Two details from the text that I used in my presentation and wiki post included information about PFC's being found in the blood of 90% of Americans and the resulting discontinuation of PFC products by 3M. I also used information in which the EPA identified PFOA as a potential problem to human health and the environment.
2. Ewan Sinclair wrote this dissertation as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Doctor's Degree in Philosophy from SUNY Albany. He studied environmental chemistry and toxicology as a graduate student.
3. The main topic of the text is analyzing the effect of perfluoroalkyl surfactants (PASs) on the health of humans and wildlife, as well as studying how PASs get into wastewater and how they migrate through water supplies. The article identifies non-stick cookware and microwave popcorn bags as important potential domestic sources of these chemicals.
4. The main topic of this article is fleshed out by discussing research done by others and analyzing new research that has never been done before. The article shows the negative effects of PASs by presenting a lot of scientific data and uses philosophical thinking to tie in how these chemicals are used in our society.
5. The following three quotes capture the critical import of the text:
"We identified and measured perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs), and fluorotelomer alcohols, released from non-stick coated cookware into the gas phase under normal cooking temperatures for the first time."
"There is a potential for PASs to be transferred from domestic, commercial and industrial sources to municipal waste streams and be directed to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs)."
"PFOS was found to reduce body weight, decrease serum cholesterol and increase liver to body weight ratio, in a dose-dependant manner in rats and primates. Exposure to PFOA resulted in hepatocellular hypertrophy, hepatic mitochondrial proliferation, and increased liver weight in rats and primates."
6. The argument and evidence in the text supports my research focus because it discusses how toxic fumes are released from non-stick cookware and additionally provides new research about the conditions in which this happens. The article also identifies the effects that the chemicals used for non-stick can have on our health and the environment.
7. Two details from the text that I used in my presentation and wiki post included information about research proving that toxic fumes can be released from non-stick cookware at normal cooking temperatures. I also used findings that described the transport of PASs through water supplies.
The Problem
Non-stick pans are usually made of aluminum and coated with a synthetic polymer called Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). This substance is well known by the name brand Teflon, which is owned by DuPont.(8) The company started making non-stick pans in the 1950’s and since then their popularity has grown tremendously. (9) However, recent research shows that this coating on popular cookware can be harmful to humans and the environment. This is a problem because millions of people cook with these pans daily.PFOA is a chemical used in the process of making Teflon that raises concerns. The EPA acknowledges that, “A series of scientific findings released since the late 1990s showed that PFOA could pose potential risk to human health and the environment.”(1) "These chemicals have been found in tested air, water, and food in every U.S. city where testing has been done."(10) DuPont admits that above extreme temperatures (500 degrees Fahrenheit), the Teflon coating can emit fumes that can cause “polymer fume fever”, which are flu-like symptoms that dissipate after several hours. They also advise not to let pet birds in the kitchen when cooking with Teflon pans because the fumes can be fatal to them.(11) This should be seen as a warning sign for the effect the fumes may have on humans, just as the canary in the coal mine. "We identified and measured perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs), and fluorotelomer alcohols, released from non-stick coated cookware into the gas phase under normal cooking temperatures for the first time."(2) This research identifies that fumes may be released during normal cooking, not just at extreme temperatures. Another concern with Teflon is ingestion of flakes of the material that are sometimes scraped off pans by the use of metal utensils. Although DuPont claims the flakes are harmless, it is surely only increasing exposure to the chemicals it contains.
In 1999, the EPA discovered perfluorochemicals (PFCs) in blood banks samples provided by the 3M Company (3M). "The data indicated that perfluorooctyl sulfonates (PFOS) [like the ones used on non-stick cookware] is persistent, unexpectedly toxic, and bioaccumulative, and turned up in the blood of more than 90 percent of the U.S.population."(1) Shortly after these findings were published, 3M, the sole manufacturer of PFOS at the time, announced it was discontinuing the production of all perfluorochemicals. It was this decision that led DuPont to promptly announce it would begin making PFOA itself.(1)
A study conducted by the Environmental Working Group in 2008 revealed that, “ The chemical used in Teflon may harm the immune system, liver and thyroid and cause higher cholesterol in children, according to the initial findings of a study of 69,000 people in West Virginia and Ohio who live near a DuPont manufacturing plant. The health effects observed in the study population are strong indicators of health problems that might be caused by PFOA in average Americans.”(3) Other research found that, "There is a potential for PASs to be transferred from domestic, commercial and industrial sources to municipal waste streams and be directed to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs)."(2) This means these chemicals are moving through our water supplies and complicating the issue.
We know that diseases are often influenced by exposure to substances in our environment. Eliminating exposure from cookware is a point of intervention you can take to preserve your health and the environment. My proposed point of intervention is to increase awareness of the concerns with non-stick cookware and encourage that everyone switch to a safer and more eco-friendly alternative. The good news is that there are several alternative types of cookware that can be used to help solve this sustainability problem.
Intervention
There are many other types of cookware that do not use synthetic polymers or perfluorochemicals like those used in non-stick. Some other cookware options include non-coated metals like cast iron, stainless steel, and copper. There is cookware made of natural terracotta as well as new options ceramic coated or non-stick without PFOA.The following options are made of uncoated metals and do not release any fumes when used. Cast iron is one option for safe and sustainable cookware. Cast iron pans are very durable and last for decades. They are even naturally non-stick when seasoned properly and they are easy to clean using only water. Seasoning cast iron involves coating it in oil and baking it.(See link for details.) Cast iron also emits small amounts of iron into your food for added nutrients, which makes it even healthier.(5) Stainless steel cookware is a popular alternative because it is readily available, fairly affordable, and stays looking nice. According to Jennifer Schwab, director of sustainability of for the Sierra Club Green Home, "Not only are [stainless steel pans] stylish, but they don't contain the potentially harmful chemicals that are found in Teflon-coated or other nonstick pans...and [they] are wholly recyclable once their usefulness is over."(4) One downfall with stainless steel is that it contains nickel, so people with allergies to nickel should not cook with stainless steel.(7) Copper cookware is common amongst professional chefs for its' great heat conductivity. Although a good option for safe cookware, copper is extremely expensive and not a viable option for the average household.(6)
Terracotta cookware is a clay based ceramic that produces no harmful by-products, which makes it a good alternative. “They have a glass like finish made of furnace hardened, vitreous paste that ensures the cooking surface is virtually absent of toxins even when exposed to very high temperatures in sharp contrast to the finish of chemically coated pans, which break down when heated.”(12) Another option is a ceramic coated pan in which the ceramic coating is made from eco-friendly materials like sand and stone. These pans do not emit any toxic gases and they help prevent growth and propagation of bacteria.(13) Some non-stick cookware is being made, such as the Hydrolon Non-Stick pan by Ecolution featured in the collage above, that uses a water based application for the polymer coating instead of the harmful chemical solvent. This technique is an improvement to non-stick technologies, but does not provide a completely sustainable solution.
Components of this point of intervention would include informing people about the dangers of traditional non-stick pans, advertising safe and eco-friendly alternatives, making alternatives desirable, affordable, and readily available, and finally having consumers implement new cookware in their lives and safely dispose of old non-stick pans. Barriers to success might be resistance by consumers to give up their convenient and easy to use Teflon cookware. Some people also claim that non-stick is healthier because it reduces the need for as much butter or cooking oil. However, it is safer to use slightly more butter or oil instead of inhaling toxic fumes and thus I think most people would be convinced to make the change. Stakeholders in the use of non-stick pans are large chemical companies and manufacturing companies, specifically DuPont. All users of non-stick pans are also stakeholders because their health is at risk and they have interest in maintaining the level of convenience that non-stick provides. Everyone else is a stakeholder because the production of these products have a negative impact on the environment that we all have to deal with.
In the fight to eliminate the use of perfluorochemicals progress is already being made. One article notes that, "It is a suggestive or likely carcinogen which the manufacturers have pledged to eliminate from their products by 2015. California legislators are moving to ban the non-stick coatings from food packaging, saying the evidence is clear and alternatives are available, so why wait until 2015." This gives me hope that technology may allow us to make some type of non-stick coating that does not use harmful chemicals, but the best alternatives are the most simple and sustainable ones. I recommend using natural ceramic, cast iron, or stainless steel cookware.
Additional Links
Problems with Teflon: http://www.ewg.org/release/major-study-teflon-chemical-people-suggests-harm-immune-system-liver-thyroidHow to season a cast iron pan: http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/cast-iron-cookware.html
Summary of alternative cookware: http://eartheasy.com/blog/2009/01/healthy-cookware/
References: Text
1. Wang, Yimin. "Cross-National Conflict Shifting: A Case Study of the Dupont Teflon Crisis in China." Thesis. University of Florida, 2005. Web. 4 Dec. 2011. <http://etd.fcla.edu/UF/UFE0010807/wang_y.pdf>2. Sinclair, Ewan F. "Sources, Pathways and Distribution of Perfluoroalkyl Surfactants in the Environment." Diss. State University of New York at Albany, 2007. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses. ProQuest LLC. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. <http://proquest.umi.com/pqdlink?did=1268615401&Fmt=14&VType=PQD&VInst=PROD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1323180619&clientId=79356>3. http://www.ewg.org/release/major-study-teflon-chemical-people-suggests-harm-immune-system-liver-thyroid4. http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/JustOneThing/thing-green-cookware/story?id=10568172#.Tt2SYbIk6nA5. http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/cast-iron-cookware.html6. http://whatscookingamerica.net/Information/ChoosingCookware.htm7. http://eartheasy.com/blog/2009/01/healthy-cookware/8. http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/articles/591/general-wellness/teflon-ptfe-in-your-non-stick-cookware-is-dangerous-to-health.html9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polytetrafluoroethylene10. http://willtaft.com/133/health/do-not-use-teflon-cookware11. http://www2.dupont.com/Teflon/en_US/products/safety/key_questions.html12. http://terraallegraimportsllc.blogspot.com/2008/03/true-green-earth-sustainable-cookware.html13. http://www.tradekorea.com/sell-leads-detail/S00039249/Eco_friendly_Die_cast_aluminum_ceramic_coating_cookware.htmlAnnotations
NUMBER 11. Wang, Yimin. "Cross-National Conflict Shifting: A Case Study of the Dupont Teflon Crisis in China." Thesis. University of Florida, 2005. Web. 4 Dec. 2011. http://etd.fcla.edu/UF/UFE0010807/wang_y.pdf
2. Yimin Wang received her Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry from Peking University in Beijing and then pursued a Master’s of Science in Teaching at the University of Florida. She also attended the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida majoring in public relations and did a study abroad program at Regents College in London. Wang wrote this thesis to conclude her Master’s of Art in Mass Communication degree in 2005.
3. The main topic of the text is analyzing how China reacted to news that non-stick pans, specifically Teflon, could be harmful. It discusses the problem with Teflon and how the EPA acted against DuPont, while addressing how and why the crisis shifted from the U.S. to China.
4. The main topic is fleshed out by referencing other case studies, analyzing crisis theory and methodology, and presenting research data. These three methods work well together to enhance the impact of the text.
5. The following three quotes capture the critical import of the text:
“Teflon, one of DuPont’s hugely successful brands as non-stick coating, has spurred public debate because of its close relations with a type of controversial chemical called PFOA.”
“The EPA’s action in the United States quickly spread overseas through international media. Unlike the relatively weak response in the United States and European countries, where Teflon has been on the market for decades, an unanticipated crisis with profound impact was triggered on another side of the globe—China.”
“Safety concerns considerably affected Chinese Teflon cookware makers by forcing them to either cancel or delay their new products’ promotion plans.”
6.The argument and evidence provided in the text supports my research focus because it identifies why Teflon is dangerous through research findings by the EPA and it identifies how these findings became a crisis for the Teflon market.
7. Two details from the text that I used in my presentation and wiki post included information about PFC's being found in the blood of 90% of Americans and the resulting discontinuation of PFC products by 3M. I also used information in which the EPA identified PFOA as a potential problem to human health and the environment.
NUMBER 2
1. Sinclair, Ewan F. "Sources, Pathways and Distribution of Perfluoroalkyl Surfactants in the Environment." Diss. State University of New York at Albany, 2007. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses. ProQuest LLC. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. <http://proquest.umi.com/pqdlink?did=1268615401&Fmt=14&VType=PQD&VInst=PROD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1323180619&clientId=79356>
2. Ewan Sinclair wrote this dissertation as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Doctor's Degree in Philosophy from SUNY Albany. He studied environmental chemistry and toxicology as a graduate student.
3. The main topic of the text is analyzing the effect of perfluoroalkyl surfactants (PASs) on the health of humans and wildlife, as well as studying how PASs get into wastewater and how they migrate through water supplies. The article identifies non-stick cookware and microwave popcorn bags as important potential domestic sources of these chemicals.
4. The main topic of this article is fleshed out by discussing research done by others and analyzing new research that has never been done before. The article shows the negative effects of PASs by presenting a lot of scientific data and uses philosophical thinking to tie in how these chemicals are used in our society.
5. The following three quotes capture the critical import of the text:
"We identified and measured perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs), and fluorotelomer alcohols, released from non-stick coated cookware into the gas phase under normal cooking temperatures for the first time."
"There is a potential for PASs to be transferred from domestic, commercial and industrial sources to municipal waste streams and be directed to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs)."
"PFOS was found to reduce body weight, decrease serum cholesterol and increase liver to body weight ratio, in a dose-dependant manner in rats and primates. Exposure to PFOA resulted in hepatocellular hypertrophy, hepatic mitochondrial proliferation, and increased liver weight in rats and primates."
6. The argument and evidence in the text supports my research focus because it discusses how toxic fumes are released from non-stick cookware and additionally provides new research about the conditions in which this happens. The article also identifies the effects that the chemicals used for non-stick can have on our health and the environment.
7. Two details from the text that I used in my presentation and wiki post included information about research proving that toxic fumes can be released from non-stick cookware at normal cooking temperatures. I also used findings that described the transport of PASs through water supplies.
References: Images
Teflon muffin tin: http://tuberose.com/Teflon.htmlNon-stick pan set: http://toolskitchen.net/2011/09/20/non-stick-cookware-5/Red & green ceramic pans: http://www.tradekorea.com/sellleadsdetail/S00039249/Eco_friendly_Die_cast_aluminum_ceramic_coating_cookware.htmlCast iron pans: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Information/CastIronPans.htmTerracotta cookware: http://terraallegraimportsllc.blogspot.com/2008/03/true-green-earth-sustainable-cookware.htmlGlobe: http://www.flamboinc.com/index.php/news/2011-06-21-68Ecolution pan: http://www.ecolutionhome.com/Stainless steel pans: http://www.ktk985.com/1-Thing--Green-your-cookware-/11279198?archive=1&pid=108745Copper pot: http://www.mauvielusa.com/Cookware-Sets.html?parentId=2